C64x Unboxing videos

[CritAnime]

Must be where he got his customer service skills from too.

[commodorejohn]

The overheating issue is should be looked at properly. several people have voiced their concern over the venting placements. Only for good ol Bazza to launch into replay with

http://www.commodore-amiga.org/forum/27-commodore-usa/4928-fan-and-different-function-keys?limit=15&start=15&lang=en#5957

Legitimate concerns met by condescending verbal abuse from the head man himself? That's our Barry! No wonder this thing is such a resounding success!

[Darrin]

Must be where he got his customer service skills from too.

LOL.  Yeah, "All sales are final and you must have tore a hole in that sofa yourself so I'm not replacing it!  What do you mean your recliner won't recline?  Too bad, use it as hardback chair instead!"

Actually, does anybody remember The Doom Master's replies on eBay to anybody that left him any negative feedback?

[fishy_fiz]

Errr,... the ION chipset generates much more heat (in fact a lot to a degree some smaller cases have had issues) than the cpu itself. Surely the person behind these c64x's should be aware of that, although if the above quotes are accurate then it seems he's not particularly computer literate.

[Darrin]

Legitimate concerns met by condescending verbal abuse from the head man himself? That's our Barry! No wonder this thing is such a resounding success!

Did you notice how he actually managed to avoid answering the question "Did you do any testing"?  Skillfully done.

[CritAnime]

Errr,... the ION chipset generates much more heat (in fact a lot to a degree some smaller cases have had issues) than the cpu itself. Surely the person behind these c64x's should be aware of that, although if the above quotes are accurate then it seems he's not particularly computer literate.

This is CUSA we are talking about. Lol

Somewhere there is another Bazza special reply about modding a case. But I am tired so I will trawl through the crap after some sleep.

[A3KOne]

I rarely post, but I find this discussion interesting.

It appears to me...at least to the perspective of a former Amigan...that this entire moan and complain fest is just another example of the Amiga community (or what is left of it) self destructing.

The CUSA guy came on here some time ago and announced his plans.  He was met with the expected cynicism and negativity - and who can blame the Amiga community, after all of the false starts and lies there is no reason to trust anyone.  The normal checklist was there...crappy website...check! Delays...Check!  Excitement and hyperbole? Check!  

Then the inexcusable happened... they delivered exactly what they said they would.

Sure, the C64x is not an Amiga or AmigaOS project...and it is PC hardware running a PC OS...but it is a killer piece of retro design...and a custom case alone is more than anyone else has delivered in AGES.

Were they a bit smug? probably.  Obnoxious? I have seen worse.  Seriously...the criticisms appear to be hypocritical at times.  One criticism in this thread is that the CEO shouldn't be on a message forum defending a product he actually delivered.  What makes it so funny is that Bill McFleecy and others were under fire from a lack of communication and failure to deliver.   At least the CUSA people are accessible.

Is it overpriced?  Maybe.  I mean, the custom case design and tooling for limited run production is not free.  The closest system I can find on Tigerdirect is an Asus EEPC with an Atom 525, 2 gigs of ram and a 320 gig HD.  It has most of the same features as the standard C64x, sans bluetooth, and it comes with win7 32bit.  That machine sells for $500.  Is it worth $200 more for the custom design and bluetooth? Maybe.  If it is worth it to the individual that buys it, then it is worth it.

Maybe the hardware design criticisms are warranted. I cannot comment on that other than to say, complain when yours breaks.  I saw less criticism of the bloody AmigaOne that wouldn't boot on arrival.  Half of the crap didn't work right. I don't know if they ever fixed the firmware or sound problems. I don't know how hot the C64x runs, but I am sure CUSA tested them thoroughly and made sure that the heat was within acceptable parameters.  If not, they will fail in-warranty from everyday use and CUSA will have to foot the repair bills.

Yeah...CUSA has a license from Amiga Inc that lets them put the Amiga name on all kinds of crappy PC products.  That sucks a bit...but it would suck less if they did what should have been done ages ago...that is, design a standard platform and work out a way to release it with AmigaOS for X64.  

Best case scenario would be if they OWNED Amiga.  Then maybe something would get delivered for a change.  As it is, there is no way AmigaOS will ever see x86/64.

It would suck a bit less if they were able to release a standardized hardware platform with full driver support for specific configurations...on AROS. Unfortunately, Hype keeps that from happening.  When was AmigaOS and quality new hardware supposed to be available under the direction of Hype??? 2004 sounds right if my memory is not failing me!  Isn't that just 2 more weeks away?

Now we have the PPC X1000 as a high end model that by the time it is released will be 5 years behind the current generation of x86/64 hardware.

Most of the remaining community (including hype) have made sure that Amiga will be relegated to a novelty computer for hobbyists in much the same way the TRS-80 and Atari machines are now.  Other than a few people using them for amateur radio or somesuch mundane task, the Amiga will be a dead stick.  The OS might find its way onto a few specialty embedded devices, but there are other operating systems that do the same job, and part of the allure of AmigaOS was the elegance of it; that means nothing in an embedded environment.

Ok, I am off of my soap box.  This was me expressing my opinion as a former owner of an A500/2000/2500/3000/4000, with my nicest system being an A4K PPC/060 + CVPPC built to the hilt.

In the current state of Amiga affairs, I will probably never buy another Amiga product...but before I was an Amigan, I had a couple of C64's (breadbox and 64c).  I am strongly considering a C64x Ultimate.  I know it is a bit pricey, but connected to my 61" Samsung 3D DLP it will make a primo combination Blue Ray + skype + retro gaming platform...and I can stream video and surf the web...with the USB I can use a wireless keyboard/mouse from the sofa...and it will look much cooler on my side table than the tower that is sitting next to the TV now.

[digitex]

Thanks, AK3One
Great job! As promised, your new CUSA employee ID badge will be waiting for you at the front reception desk, along with your K1 and stock option package. The keys to your new Lexus will be left in the top drawer, along with your health club membership card. And of course, your check is already in the mail.

[mingle]

@AK3One,

You're spot on... (I'm another who posts only when I really feel the need.)

If you notice, it's the same group of people who seem to be able to do nothing other than piss and moan about C=USA.

Message to you guys: We heard you the first time, so FFS, give it a rest...

Mike.

[psxphill]

Thanks, AK3One
Great job! As promised, your new CUSA employee ID badge will be waiting for you at the front reception desk, along with your K1 and stock option package. The keys to your new Lexus will be left in the top drawer, along with your health club membership card. And of course, your check is already in the mail.

It takes a true anti CUSA zealot to believe that anyone who disagrees with them must be a CUSA employee.
 
I don't care what CUSA said about your dad during recess. So if you ignore that, CUSA are just another company trying to make money.
 
If we have to hate every company that charges more than cost for products or delivers late or has design faults then we'd never buy anything from anyone ever.
 
The only conclusion I can come to is that some people enjoy hating CUSA. I just wish you'd do it somewhere else.
 

Legitimate concerns met by condescending verbal abuse from the head man himself? That's our Barry! No wonder this thing is such a resounding success!

If all the zealots stopped baiting him then he'd be quiet.

[J-Golden]

@A3KOne:

I think you hit several really good points and I'm glad you took the time to explain your thoughts out fully.

The one thing I guess you and I differ on is the state of the community.  I know we are a very cautious lot when it comes to announcements and promises of new hardware.  We push the envelope to try to find out what is really going on since we have been burned so often with hollow replies and hype.

Most of the valid issues brought up deal with the fact that the C64x isn't anything new.  It's just a PC in a custom case.  CUSA trying to pass it off as something more is insulting to people and that is what stirs the emotions.

On the other hand, there is a strong, positive following for the FPGA Arcade, Natami and the Minimig.  They each are striving to recreate what the Amiga was while trying to create a platform for future development.  All of these projects have faced their own firing squads and survived to prove themselves.

If the C64X is cool to you, then go for it!  I hope it works great for you and does all you hoped for and more!  And who knows, maybe they'll pull an Amithalon and produce a way to perfectly emulate the Amiga w/o an added OS layer.  Now THAT would be cool!

[psxphill]

@A3KOne:
Most of the valid issues brought up deal with the fact that the C64x isn't anything new. It's just a PC in a custom case. CUSA trying to pass it off as something more is insulting to people and that is what stirs the emotions.

If you feel insulted then it says more about you than it does about CUSA.
 
It looks pretty much like a c64. So sitting there it looks retro, but it runs modern software so it has a use.
 
If it was anything other than a PC in a custom case it would be even more expensive and have less software. To get it cheaper you'd have to use a standard pc case.
 
A standard case with custom hardware sounds an awful lot like the X1000. I wouldn't buy either, but if I was given the choice of either for free then I'd take the c64x.
 
I'm fed up with all this passive agressive behaviour. "all we did was bait barry and he got upset". Tough, get over it. If people don't behave like arses and barry still gets upset then ignore him. I don't need to join a hate gang to feel good about myself.

[fishy_fiz]

If only it was that straight forward. Yes, on the surface it appears that simple, but it's not. As for "same group", this is maybe the dozenth post Ive made in regards to c-usa threads across all amiga forums, and Ive definately not droned on about the typical stuff. Yes there are naysayers who go overboard, as there is with all hobbies, but there's more than a few others who are simply computer enthusiasts who have been watching from the sidelines somewhat bemused and occassionally baffled by the trite that various c-usa people have come up with. Yes it's thier business, but that doesnt mean I cant find it funny. Not just "hahha" funny, although there's definately some of that too.
Will I lose sleep over anything C-USA do or say? Absolutely not. Will I maintain my general interest in computers as I have for the last 30 years? Definately, and as such I will fill people in on the farce that Ive witnessed thus far if it comes up. After giving him a few links after he showed me a link he found in regards to the C64x, thinking it was cool, Ive already had a friend say, "sod that, what clowns" (or less friendly words to that effect) . This friend has little interest in the Amiga either, so his decision was based purely on the actions of C-USA.

Long story short, it's taken both "sides", both C-USA and its opposers for things to have gotten as comical as they have.

[Hammer]

I don't think I got the whole point of this post and all the reactions about it.
Why the Amiga community hates Commodore USA?
They're just a HW supplier that were able to build a nice c64 replica x86 case. What's really wrong with that?
Are they using the commodore name illegally? (I really don't know. I'm really asking.)

The Amiga scene, while interestingly active, it's kind of a confusing nowadays:
1) retro guys using the original hw and SW (like many other retro scenes)
2) AOS 4 - new software but they insist that it must only run on exotic hardware, otherwise it is not amiga
3) MorphOS - new software and they're more open to existent HW but constantly being criticized because the HW is too old and/or because it's an apple, not an Amiga.
4) AROS - run on (certain) x86 HW, so, you can try to get those UGLY standard PC cases, add NEON and several FANS to it (to get even uglier) and create an AROS box.
5) Natami - (can't tell too much about this option)

and then you have these guys.
Why they can't recreate the A1200 case, with a full functional "mac compatible" keyboard attached and a kit for disassembling a g4 mini and putting it inside of it?
A MorphOS G4 silent A1200 would be REAAALLLLYY cool.

Best regards,

What's cool about dead end Apple PowerPC box?

You can buy C64x case without the CUSA's x86 motherboard solution.

[J-Golden]

Long story short, it's taken both "sides", both C-USA and its opposers for things to have gotten as comical as they have.

[/FONT][/COLOR]

Yeah, I'd have to +1 that.

@psxphill: I'm not quite sure if you understood the meaning of that paragraph.  I was commenting on the fact that CUSA is advertising the C64X and its siblings as a full stand alone computers with its own OS and everything.  This is untrue.  That is what I was talking about.

I'm also confused as to where the "passive aggressive" feelings come from.  I really could care less about CUSA.  As far as I can remember, I've never said anything against them other then my post a few up from here.  I hold no grudge towards them or any of their employees.  And I do hope that everyone who DOES buy a C64X gets their money's worth, that's all.

I've watched as threads deteriorate and have noticed that they tend to follow the same pattern.  Member A starts post with a thought, some information or news.  Members B, C, E and F like it or agree.  Members D, G, H don't agree and say so.  C and F see their point and say so, A and E don't see their point and say so while B gets mad and says so; usually in a quick, heated message.

The messages about the post become more and more polarized and heated driving the post away from being about sharing information and getting more into emotion.  This goes on until someone addresses a poster instead of the post.  Now it has become personal and all hints of intellectual are out the window.

This is an exaggeration and simplification combined, I agree.  But that is what happens more often than not in these situations.  And what's worse is that more often than not the offensive post that starts it all was meant as a joke or a good ribbing, but taken the wrong way.

I just wish people would be more relaxed and not so up at arms with everything.  That would snip a lot of A.ORG's issues at the bud.

I hope this better clarifies my views and why I say things.  Honestly, I just like to help people out...

[commodorejohn]

Message to you guys: We heard you the first time, so FFS, give it a rest...

When there are no more active CUSA threads here, I will stop stating my opinion of CUSA. It's a fairly simple proposition.

You can buy C64x case without the CUSA's x86 motherboard solution.

Or you can pay $0-10 for a dead C64 and $45 for a Keyrah and spend the extra $190 on something nice.